Aamal is the Arabic word for work, but it can depict someone’s treatment of others as much as it does their profession.
The word is as versatile as its English counterpart. It can refer to someone’s job — wadhifa — or profession — mihna — as well as a handcrafted artwork — aamal yadiwiya — or workshop — warshat aamal.
In its noun form, aamal becomes aamel: worker.
For work done meticulously, you could say amala amalan salehan or sayean, and it can refer to anything from floral arrangements to car repairs. For work poorly executed, you could say amala amalan sayye'an. Amala binashat is work done energetically.
Amal can also mean do, as in a bored or troubled “what are we going to do?” — mal amal? — or in a colloquial expression: "Shu rah naamol?"
Shu rah taamol/taamoli is" “What are you going to do?”
Aamal khairiyya is charity work. Amal ijtimaa'i is social work. Amal jama'i is a collaborative effort. Aamal tijariyya is trade. Aamal sinaa'iyya is manufacturing. Aamal ziraa'iyya is agricultural work. Aamal manziliyya are house chores. Amal fanni is an artwork.
Amal layli is the night shift at work. Amal mu'aqqat is temporary work. Amal nisfi is a part-time job. Jadwal aamal is a business agenda. Maktab aamal is an office. Wizarat al aamal is the Ministry of Labour.
Muaamaleh sayyi'a is a mistreatment. Amala jirih is when a wound festers. Muamaleh jayyida is fair treatment. Aamalahu/aamaluha bilmethel is when a person treats someone as they are being treated.
Finally, an idiom or two.
Eamal kheiran wa kibbo belbahr means do a good deed and “throw it out to sea”, not expecting anything in return.
Ajalat el haz la yadfa'uha illa al aamal, which translates to the wheel of fortune, is only pushed by work.
Scroll through the gallery below to see The National's other Arabic words of the week
6 UNDERGROUND
Director: Michael Bay
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Adria Arjona, Dave Franco
2.5 / 5 stars
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')
Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')
SPIDER-MAN%3A%20ACROSS%20THE%20SPIDER-VERSE
%3Cp%3EDirectors%3A%20Joaquim%20Dos%20Santos%2C%20Kemp%20Powers%2C%20Justin%20K.%20Thompson%3Cbr%3EStars%3A%20Shameik%20Moore%2C%20Hailee%20Steinfeld%2C%20Oscar%20Isaac%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3ECompany%20name%3A%20CarbonSifr%3Cbr%3EStarted%3A%202022%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Onur%20Elgun%2C%20Mustafa%20Bosca%20and%20Muhammed%20Yildirim%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Climate%20tech%3Cbr%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%241%20million%20raised%20in%20seed%20funding%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
RESULT
Al Hilal 4 Persepolis 0
Khribin (31', 54', 89'), Al Shahrani 40'
Red card: Otayf (Al Hilal, 49')
Brief scoreline:
Crystal Palace 2
Milivojevic 76' (pen), Van Aanholt 88'
Huddersfield Town 0
Januzaj's club record
Manchester United 50 appearances, 5 goals
Borussia Dortmund (loan) 6 appearances, 0 goals
Sunderland (loan) 25 appearances, 0 goals
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
